Sky Sports pundit Stephen Warnock has made the major claim that Aston Villa could have the best squad in the Championship but is predicting a roller-coaster for the rest of their campaign.
The Villans suffered a slow start to the season under former boss Steve Bruce but the arrival of Dean Smith has seen an upturn in their fortunes, pushing their way to sitting ninth in the table, three points adrift of those in the play off spots.
Delivering a verdict on Smith and his men, Warnock admitted things would not be smooth sailing but that they had to be considered challengers in the push for a top six finish with one of the best squads in the league.
Asked if they are going to be in the top six battle this season, he told Sky Sports News’ Football Centre (27/12, 11:27): “Yes they are, arguably one of the best, if not the best squad in the league.
“They are going to have a few ups and downs trying to adjust to the way Dean Smith wants to play his football but those players are high on confidence.”
Opinion
There is little doubting that Villa should be up among those battling it out for a chance at a Premier League return but their shaky start to the season has left them playing catch up, and the question that has to be asked is whether they have left themselves with too much to do. There are so many quality sides in the Championship and Warnock is making a big claim suggesting that Villa have the best squad among them all. Smith has got them playing some exciting football but what they really need are results on the board and they have still not been as fluid as they might want to be. Still, the Championship is a marathon, not a sprint, and having started slowly they certainly look like they are getting up to full speed. With the likes of Tammy Abraham leading the line, they have the talent to sink any second tier rival – they just have to make sure that they do just that on the day.